Car-coupling



(No Model.)

' A. SCHNEIDER GAR COUPLING.

No. 533,612. Patented Feb; 5, 1895.

ARQFEQ 4.

flbbomeag UNITED STATES PATENT rricn.

ADOLPl-I SCHNEIDER, OF MENARDVILLE, TEXAS.

CAR-COUPLING.

* SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 533,612, datedFebruary 5, 1895. Application filed April 18, 1894- Serial No. 507,994..(No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ADOLPH SCHNEIDER, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Menardville, in the county of Menard and State ofTexas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCar-Couplers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements incar-couplings of that class known as safety or automatic, and it has forits objects among others to provide a simple and efficient coupler whichshall be reliable and efficient in its operation, composed of few partsand those so assembled and arranged as not to be liable to get out oforder or to become inoperative from any cause.

Afurther object is to provide simple mechanism whereby when the cars areuncoupled the coupling is set for coupling with another car.

Still a further object is to improve in the details of construction andrender the whole of such a nature that it can be readily applied to thedrawhead of any car now in use.

Others objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appearand the novel features thereof willbe specifically defined by theappended claim.

The invention in this instance resides in the peculiar combinations, andthe construction, arrangement and adaptation of parts, all as more fullyhereinafter described, shown in in the drawings and then particularlypointed out in the claim.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings,which, with the letters of reference marked thereon, form a part of thisspecification, and in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of myimproved coupler with the parts set ready for coupling with another car.Fig. 2 is a substantially central vertical longitudinal section throughthe same. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section showing the parts inthe position they assume when the cars are coupled.

Like letters of reference are employed to designate corresponding partsthroughout the several views.

In the drawings A designates the drawhead of a car and a the mouththereof, the drawhead being of any well known form. It is provieed withthe vertical opening B for the passage of the coupling pin 0. Thecoupling pin 0 is pivotally connected with one end of a lever D in anysuitable manner, as for instance by having a thin flat extension 0 atits upper end which is pivotally held in a slot or kerf d of the saidlever by a cross pin d upon which it is free to vibrate as is necessaryin the operation of the coupling. This lever is of peculiar shape beingin side elevation somewhat in the form of a Z, the arm of which that issubstantially parallel with the end connected with the coupling pinbeing extended to form a handle by which it may be operated. This leveris pivotedas at e at one of its angles, the lower one, in the bifurcatedupper end of a standard or upright E rising from the top of the drawheadas shown by means of a pin or pivot F, and near its pivot this lever isformed with a lug f which is perforated and in this perforation is heldone end of a spiral spring G the other end of which is secured to an eyebolt h on the top of the drawhead.

To the rear of the pin-opening in the top of the drawhead the upper faceof the said drawhead is formed with a central longitudinal slot H inwhich works a substantially vertical arm I, which is pivotally mountedas upon a horizontal pin or pivot t and to the upper end of this arm isconnected one end of the spring bar J, the other end of which is securedto the upper face of the drawhead in front ofthe slottherein as shown.This spring bar is bent to form almost a circle and the end which isattached to the upper end of the pivoted arm I is provided with a notchj to receive the front edge of said arm while the portions upon oppositesides of the notch are coiled around a pin or pins K projectinglaterally from the upper end of said arm as shown.

The lower end of the vertical arm I extends within the mouth of thedrawhead to nearly the bottom thereof and upon its front edge just belowthe under side of the top of the drawhead it is formed with a lug or earL from which project the lateral pins M around which are bent the slitends of a plate or bar N which is mounted to slide in guides 0 upon theunder face of the top of the drawhead as shown. The front end of thisplate or bar may or may not be provided with a substantiallysemi-circular recess or notch to fit the curvature of the coupling pin.

With the parts constructed and arranged substantially as above set forththe operation is as followsz-To set-the coupler ready for use, the leveris operated to raise the coupling pin andas soon as the lower endthereof passes the under face of the top of the drawhead the spring barJ acts to force the upper end of the arm I rearward and consequently thelower end forward which slides the plate N forward and under thepin-opening in the top of the drawhead and holds the pin'in its elevatedposition. As the car approaches another or is approached by another thelink which is held fast in the drawhead of the one moves into the mouthof the drawhead of the car with the coupler set as above described andas the entering end of the link engages the lower end of the arm orlatch I within the mouth of the drawhead it forces the same rearward andits upper end forward against the tendency of the spring J and thismovement withdraws the plate from under the end of the coupling pinwhich falls and enters the link and thus the cars are coupled. When itis desired to uncouple the cars all that it is necessary to do is todepress the end of the handle of the lever when the pin will be raisedclear of the link and when it is raised so that its lower end is clearof the under face of the top of the drawhead the spring bar J acts toproject the plate beneath the end of the pin and hold. it in itselevated position ready to again couple with an approaching car.

By having the arm I located in an opening formed in the topside of thedraw bar it is at all times under observation and is readily accessiblefor repairs and for purposes of cleaning. Moreover, should the pivot pint' break, the said arm I will not drop down and be lost and will engagewith the forward edge of the opening H, which will limit its movementunder the influence of the spring J. Again, in the event of the pin '5breaking, the arm I will be supported by the engagement of its lower endwith the bottom side of the said draw bar.

What I claim as new is- In a car coupling, the combination of a drawhead provided with a vertical standard, a coupling pin, an approximatelyZ-shaped lever pivoted to the said standard, and having a forwardlyextendinglug and constructed to operate the said coupling pin, and aspring interposed between the draw head and the aforesaid lug,substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

ADOLPH SCHNEIDER. Witnesses:

HERMANN DIETZ, CHAS. 0. SCHUCHARD.

